Bowling pin resetting apparatus



July 5, 1954 R. C. RosHoN 2,683,035

BOWLING PIN RESETTING APPARATUS Filed June l, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTDRN EYS July 6, 1954 R. c. RosHON BOWLING PIN RESETTING APPARATUS Filed June l 1951 .5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 524956Z? faso/e,

ATTDRNEYS July 6, 1954 R. c. RosHoN BOWLING PIN RESETTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A Filed June l, 1951 l' .'INVENTOR. usseZZ osozz,

ATTIII RN EYE Patented July 6, 195.4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to bowling alleys of the miniature or table type where balls are rolled and pins reset from the playing end of the game board or alley, and in particular an improved resetting device for a miniature bowling alley wherein the tenpins are reset by pulling on a knob.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved miniature bowling alley wherein the tenpins are readily set up from the bowlingend of the alley.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for connecting tenpins of a miniature bowling alley to a common drum whereby the pins are instantly set up in correct positions by pulling a single cable or cord.

A further object of the invention is toprovide an improved miniature bowling alley which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantagesl in View the invention embodies an elongatedV game board or bowling alley with tenpins positioned over openings through the far endof ,the alley and actuated to set up positions by cords extended through the pins and openings in the alley to a drum which is actuated from the playing end of the alley.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the improved minia-` ture bowling alley.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale taken on line 2-2 of Figure l through the end of the alley on which the tenpins are positioned and illustrating the connections of the pins to an operating drum.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2 also showing the end of the alley in which the pins are positioned, and with the intermediate part of the alley broken away.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a section through the alley taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved miniature bowling alley of this invention includes a floor I0 having ball runways II and I2 at the sides, tenpins I3 connected by cords I4 to a drum formed with spaced bars I5, a pull cord I 6 having a knob I 'I on the outer end, a V-shaped guide I8 positioned on an inclined panel I9, and a bumper 20.

The oor I0 is supported by transverse beams 2| on side rails 22 and 23 and one end of the 2 alley is provided with extensions 24 which are attached to the rails 22 and 23 by plates 25and 26 with screws 2'I.

The transverse beams 2l are provided with recesses 28 and 29 and elongated panels 30 and 3l with molding strips 32 and 33 on the panel 3!) and 34 and 35 on the panel 3l are positioned in the recesses thereby forming ball runways as indicated by the numerals II and I2 ,at the sides of the alley or floor. Side panels 36 and 31 are positioned beyond the ball runways for retaining the balls on the alley.

The playing end of the alley is provided with a supporting panel 3,8, having an opening 39 therein in which the pull cord I6 extends'and the baiiles 4;) and 4I extend' upwardly from the panel 38 to lprovide stops for balls in the runways II and I2.

The far end of the floor of the bowling alley is supported on a beam 42 the upper corner of which is provided with a recess 43 and the inclined panel I9 is positioned with the lowerv edge held in the recess 43 and the upper edge supported on a strip 44 carried by the rear wall 45 of the vbowlingA alley'.

' A door 46 is attached to the lower end of the panel 45 by hinges 47 whereby access is provided to the tenpin cord actuating drum I5 below thealley.

The guide IS which is provided with sloping edges 48 and 49 is positioned on the sloping member I 9 and after the balls strike the tenpins and engage the bumper 2li they roll on the inclined edges 48 and 49v by which they are directed into the ball runways II and I2.

rlhe bumper 2D is positioned between side walls '56 and 5I, the lower edge of the bumper resting upon the inclined panel I9 and the upper edge being secured to a cleat 52 extended between the side walls 5 and 5I and secured to the cover panel 53.

The bumper 2G is formed with a backing plate 54 and resilient material, as indicated by the numeral 2B is held in position thereon by an outer covering 55.

As illustrated in Figure 2 the bars I5, forming the actuating drum are carried by end sections 56 and 5l which, as shown in Figure 4 are journaled in the lowerends of bearing blocks 58 and '59 by bolts 63 and 6I, the outer ends oi which are provided with lock nuts 62 and 63, respectively.

Also as illustrated in Figure 2 the cords I4, eX- tended from the tenpins I3 are secured to one of the bars of the drum, which is indicated by the numeral 64 by thumb nuts 65 on screws $6 which extend through the bar 64. The opposite ends of the cords I4, which extend through openings 61, in the tenpins, are secured in recesses 68 in the upper ends of the pins by tying knots as indicated by the numeral 69 on the ends of the cords.

In the illustration, as shown in Figure 2, the cords i4, to the tenpins, are shown in tension and it will be appreciated that when the pull cord I6 is released a spring 1U, attached to the drum at a point 'il and to a block 12 of the frame, reverses the rotation of the drum whereby the cords I4 are released so that sufficient slack is provided in the cords to permit' the tenpins to be knocked over by the ball.

The drum is also provided with a segment i3 which is provided with a groove I4 in which the pull cord I6 is positioned and the end of the cord is secured to the segment by a screw 15.

The lower edge of one of the transverse beams 2| may be provided with a guide block 16, and the guide block 16 is provided with an opening Ti through which the pull cord I6 extends whereby the cord or cable I6 will be prevented from shifting from side to side.

The bearing blocks 58 and 59 are attached to the transverse beam I52'by screws 18, as shown in Figure 4.

The game board or alley lil is provided with a plurality of openings 'i9 positioned to correspond with the triangular position of tenpins on a bowling alley and as the pins are drawn to upright positions they are correctly positioned on the alley. The bars of the drum may have arcuate outer surfaces.

It will also be understood that grooves or comparatively small troughs may be provided in the surface of the inclined panel I9, and particularly at the edges thereof to facilitate guiding the balls into the runways ll and i2 at the sides of the alley and the position and arrangement of the member i8 may be changed to prevent the balls rebounding or bouncing backwardly to strike the pins from the rear.

It will be understood that modications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a bowling alley, the combination which comprises an elongated panel having troughs at the sides, a bumper at one end and ten openings positioned in a triangle extended therethrough and positioned on the end of the panel on which the bumper is positioned, a transversely disposed drum having spaced parallel bars carried by end sections and positioned below the end of the panel in which the ten openings are provided, bearing blocks depending from sides of the panel and spaced from the end through which the openings extend, bolts extended through the end sections of the drum and into the bearing blocks for journaling the drum in the alley, a segment carried by the bars of the drum, a cable trained over the segment and extended to the end of the panel opposite to that in which said openings are positioned, gripping means on the end of the cable for drawing the cable to operate the drum, a spring connected to the drum and alley for returning the drum upon release of the cable gripping means, ten pins having longitudinally disposed bores therethrough positioned over the openings through said panel, and cords extended from a bar of said drum through the openings in the panel, through said ten pins, and secured to the upper ends of said ten pins, the bars of the drum having arcuate outer surfaces, and said cords connecting the ten pins to the drum being positioned to be wrapped on said arcuate outer surfaces in response t0 an outward pull on said cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 425,551 Roberts Apr. 15, 1390 460,025 Von Oeyen Sept. 22, 1891 1,470,125 Talbert Oct. 9, 1923 

